We're Not So Simple
by stereocolors
Summary: 100 themes and 100 short stories delving into the lives of Feliciano and Lovino Vargas. Explores their relationships with each other and the others around them on many levels. -Mainly to develop my muses, please read and enjoy! [T Rating to be safe for future themes! ]
1. Love

**A/N: wuu First upload! Ah man I'm so nervous D: This isn't supposed to be that long since I have to do 100 of these as part of the 100 Theme Challenge. I thought it'd be a good way to start off and practise using this site and the features and such~ **  
**Hope you enjoy, guys! Please R&R! .u.**

* * *

1. "Love"

"So you'll be back in about an hour?" An excited tone reached the receiver as slender and tanned fingers cupped the ivory phone.

"Mn.." A thoughtful hum sounded, followed by an unsure tenor. "I'm not sure, Feli.. I should be but traffic's pretty bad because of this damn weather."  
There was a pause, and Feliciano deflated a little. "—But I'll get there as soon as I can. This Tea bastard's taking his sweet time; he must know I want to get home to see you.." That earned a smile.

"Okay.. Just care of yourself, and don't work too hard."

"I won't, Feli. You do that too. Don't wait up for me if I take too long, Alright? I'll call you if there's any news on the traffic." The younger nodded at the instructions.

"Si." A small pause. "Ti amo, Fratello."

"…Ti amo."

He would have everything ready for when Lovino got home.  
Feliciano buzzed around the house. Even though the sun was well on its way to turning in for the night; he still had things to do. He wanted to cook, clean, get the house perfect, everything, all in the short space of time he had – a challenge he decided to take up since he had done nothing all day.

Lovino had taken the liberty of filling in for his younger brother at a world meeting, the latter proving that morning to be too sick to drive halfway across town to attend this month's session. He had left early that morning and would return tonight after having a hard day and, although he had been alone for most of the day, Feliciano felt ten times better than he had done before, and was determined to stay up late enough to greet his brother upon his return.

Within the next forty-five minutes he had tidied the living room and the entirety of the upstairs, leaving the kitchen until last for good reason.  
After filling a pan with a thick, crimson soup, the Italian took a peek out the window beside him and fled the room to rush upstairs and fetch a towel along with a pair of his brother's slippers, already sporting his own matching set.  
He arranged the slippers on the ground, the feet holes facing the door for easy access, and the towel folded up next to them. After this, he skipped elatedly into the kitchen and resumed stirring the soup leisurely, watching it boil and protest under the heat of the stove.

By the time the eldest Italian was due back at home, Feliciano stood in the centre of the hall facing the door. He held a white bowl filled with that aromatic, steaming soup and wore a lax smile on his face; anticipating that door to open.  
When five minutes had passed, he yawned which caused his eyes to water. Ten minutes, and he had to snap himself out of a somnolent daze before the entirety of the contents of the bowl tipped over, and he decided that Lovino was going to be late and it was best to sit down.  
The brunette rest the bowl on a small, hip level stand beside the couch and slumped into the cushions, promising himself he would turn the volume right down so he could hear Lovino coming, and rush up to pretend he had been standing there waiting from the start.  
He flicked through the channels idly, his arm falling flaccid after a while and leaving it on a popular Japanese-looking game show. He snickered a little at the highly-animated host, thinking he looked strangely like his own Japanese friend.

"So, to our first contestant, you can't see these girls – you can only hear them! I'm going to go through them one by one and give them a chance to tell you what to expect if you choose to date them! Are you ready? Here we go!"  
What was this.. a Blind-Dating game show? It looked cheesy but Feli thought it to be cute- or.. he would have done, if he wasn't zoning out every few moments and drifting closer and closer to falling asleep completely.

_What was I doing, again? Something about Fratello.._

"Alright, and now you, young lady – what are you hoping for from today?"

"Um.. I'm not into cheap hook-ups or meaningless flings…. If you pick me, I'll give you eternal love!"  
The voices on the TV played out as the last sounds the boy heard before reducing into a slumber.

_..Eternal love? What is that…_

  
_Is that like what Fratello and I have?_

Did we always have that? No…

Feli's mind mulled over the probability of what "Eternal Love" really meant - to love someone forever? But.. forever hadn't happened yet – how was that possible?  
It confused him, and caused him to think back to the very, very start of he and Lovino's story together, their first instances of love.

* * *

It was back before they were split up – he remembered now. Back when they lived together along with Rome, their cherished Grandfather. Back when they were too young to know what eternal love even meant, but what they felt was true.

It was just...love...just pure and simple, brotherly and affectionate, normal love.  
They would play every day, with each other as well as with their Grandfather. They would chase each other, laugh, cry, fight, everything brothers did and they would always look forward to doing the same the next day. That was still.. a type of love, right? That was still something significant, even at such a young age.

He tried to identify when it started to change.. maybe after they had to separate. When they were sent away, and they only chance they got to see each other where the few amounts of visits they got as they were growing up.  
Feliciano was sent to live in an Austrian household and Lovino, a Spanish one.  
For the first few, they would meet and cry and tell each other they missed one another and that they never wanted to be apart again, but.. those feelings passed with time.  
They didn't want to play and fight any more. They wanted to talk, to laugh, to _be_with one another. This only grew stronger as the years went on and the visits became less recurrent as they became busier. This was loving Fratello.. in a juvenile, childish way?

What about when they were set free and reunified? When they were able to carry out all their plans and tell each other their stories and dreams and wishes for the future? When they were old enough to fall in love but not so old that they knew what it could do to a person – what it could make a being feel. They were still young, still naïve, but they _did_ love each other. This was their _initial attraction_, Feliciano thought.

So that left today – their present love. All those nights they stayed up and told each other they'd never leave and they'd always have each other – those words were still binding, they were still true.  
And with.. all the past, the different phases and stages they had come through to get to this. This _connection_.. this love which people write about in novels and spend their whole lives trying to find – how did it come to them so _effortlessly_? Why were they allowed this? They hadn't _known_ a time they didn't love each other – whatever the form it took – did that make it everlasting? Was _that _eternal love?

* * *

The pattern of rain cascading down onto the roof was broken when the sound of the front door opening at a speed coincided with it momentarily.

Lovino scuffled into the house, clutching a folder to his chest and a small bouquet in his other hand. He pushed back against the door to close it, his shoulders hunched and a scowl on his face. He was wet, and clearly not happy about it, but he was home now so that scowl had dripped away like the droplets of rain off the tips of his nose and the ends of his hair before he even caught his breath back. He spotted the slippers, a small and knowing simper curling into his lips as he followed the non-verbal instructions and peeled off every soaking outer layer and slipped them on happily.

"Feliciano?" He called out, leaving the damp papers on the stairs as he ambled past, inspecting the oh-too-quiet household. The flowers rustled with every step as he kept a grip on them – his apology for being so late.  
He reached the living room and his smile returned upon seeing the bowl; now absent of any steam as it was stone cold by this time. And, in one movement, he had circled round to the front of the couch and crouched, leaning the floral gift against the coffee table to free up his hands.

As he reached out to trace a thumb tenderly over the younger's still cheek, he felt the feeling flood back into his numb fingertips. Feliciano was so warm.. he looked so comfortable curled up there – how long had he been down here? It didn't matter, he was asleep now but he knew his brother had tried to stay up for his homecoming, and for that he was grateful. That was so Feli.  
"..Hey," He murmured, with no real mind or intent on waking him up. "Dumbass.. I told you not to wait up." He whispered in jest with a small chuckle through his nose as he moved to lift the other into his arms and carry him to their room.

Lovino's body didn't take long to warm up with Feliciano so close, he was much like a living, breathing blanket with how much he hung on to his older brother in his sleep. Like a heat-producing koala, Lovino thought with another chuckle.  
The gentle strokes to his hair and the sounds of the other's amusement shifted Feliciano, pacifying him back into the land of the living as he woke up momentarily, lifting his head to look up at the other, and rubbing his eyes.

"V-..ve.. Fratello is.. home," He sounded just about as happy as anybody as tired as him could sound, and Lovino nodded.

"I am. The meeting went fine and everything's okay. I'll show you the important stuff tomorrow. Go to sleep for now, Feli." He hid his green orbs behind his eyelids and let out a deep sigh of content.  
Feliciano nodded and nestled into the other's chest closer, closing his eyes half-way as he felt his cheeks dust over with a pastel pink.

_This is.._

"Fratello…"  
A half-asleep hum from a half-asleep Fratello, and Feliciano beamed.

"I love you.. eternally!"


	2. Light

**A/N: Second Theme! This one was a little harder to write for.. these themes are all so vague OTL **  
**Still, I decided to make this another version of "Love", just from Lovino's point of view since we never really got a real excuse as to why he was so late! **  
**I really hope you guys like this one.. Your reviews and favourites and follows are all making me enjoy writing them for sure! qwq Thank you so much, and there's more to come!**

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2. "Light"

"..I'll call you if there's any news on the traffic."

The meetings always dragged when Feliciano wasn't here..

Lovino let out another sigh loud enough to let the Spaniard to his left and the empty seat towards his right know that he was in fact, yearning to get home. The subdued drones of the aristocratic Englishman presenting in front of the World's nations seemed to blur out into nothing in his mind, his thoughts focussing elsewhere.  
He wanted to be home, he wanted to be with Veneziano, he wanted to be warm.

How long had they been here already? It felt like hours longer than it was, and they weren't even halfway through it all yet.  
Lovino's mind kept drifting back to worrying and he found it hard to take anything the tea-drinker was even talking about.  
Was Veneziano okay? Was he still feeling ill? Should he really be left alone all day..?  
A swift glance towards a small window straight ahead of him, and the Italian noticed approaching grey clouds.

_Great_..

A little while longer into the meeting, and Lovino's attention was suddenly shifted upwards to a flickering light bulb in one of the overheard chandeliers hanging from the ceiling. It wasn't a constant flickering; it dimmed and re-lit at random intervals with no real pattern, making him think it wasn't running out of juice - something was wrong here..  
As if on cue, the room plummeted into darkness and the only light made its way in from the dark and blotched clouds outside, and that was barely sufficient.  
The nations began to panic and Lovino grit his teeth in annoyance. Of all days – a black out had to happen _today?  
_A robust, German-accented voice bellowed through the meeting room, beseeching silence as authorities and bodyguards alike burst into the room in a darkened frenzy. Each nation had to answer a rota-call and had to be searched and guarded until the lights came back on.

_They thought it was a fucking terrorist attack? Dammit, I don't have time for this..!_

* * *

After the meeting had been finally declared over, and Alfred stayed behind to bother Arthur as he tidied away his presentation, Lovino made a run for it. He took off down the hall and bypassed any Spaniard, German or Prussian in his way and left the building, wasting no time in finding his car and getting the heck away from that place.

Once outside, Lovino could see how truly dark the sky was today. So grey and lifeless, like it was dead or dying. This seemed to have an effect on the nations back inside, he noticed. He didn't see one smile the entire meeting and everybody's clothes were dampened that morning's downpour and everything was just so…disconsolate, miserable, monotonous.

Getting into his car - a black model, well-fitting for today - Lovino's thoughts turned back to Feliciano and how eager he was to be back home with him by now. He knew he still had a while to go. Today's abysmal weather was causing gridlock and collisions on the road and the traffic seemed to drag just as much as the meeting had. He was already a while late due to Arthur's insistent going over the smallest of details for his plan for the economy. In the end, they had solved nothing, just like every monthly meeting they ever held; the result was always the same. They couldn't even organise a children's party, in Lovino's opinion, let alone the World's future and economy. But what was the point in fighting it? He was a part of it and always would be until the day they faded.

Pulling out of the parking lot and actually getting onto the main road proved difficult enough and Lovino's road rage was starting to set in already, despite the fact he was barely moving.  
Whilst waiting for a set of traffic lights to allow them to pass, the Italian glanced out of his window, bored. Everything was so still, all the shops were without customers, all streets were pretty much empty. Everything just seemed to stop when the weather was this bad. He wasn't even sure what time it was but it had dark and dreary all day because of the lack sunlight. Around now, everything had a grey undertone and people's skin seemed so pale and it had started to rain and even those rain drops looked like droplets of depression and darkness descending down to earth.

His eyes trailed over the wall of shops he had been stopped outside of, and fixated on one which caught his eye. A flower shop, one with small hanging lights in the window and florets of every natural colour, size and shape displayed in the window. He had money; it was standard to never leave the house without it, he could easily just..

His thoughts were severed by the sound of an car horn roaring out from behind him, the boisterous yells of an irritated citizen joining in, and Lovino quickly pulled forward a little to park just outside the shop, and ran out through the downpour.  
Once inside, he spent some time looking around all the different styles, colours and types of flower the store had to offer before asking about a certain one.

"Daisies?" The clerk pressed the side of her forefinger knuckle to her lips in thought, and hummed. "I think we may have what you're looking for. Any colour in mind? We have whites, pinks, yellow—"

"White will be fine." Lovino interrupted with a small nod and a faint smile. The elderly lady's drooping cheeks pinned upwards, returning the smile, and she went to fetch everything she needed to wrap the gift up.

"So, you're visiting from Italy?" She asked over her shoulder, clearly picking up on the other's accent. By now she had wrapped up a large selection of the whitest daisies she had in stock, and they looked beautiful, from what Lovino could see.

"Si," He responded with another nod. "I had a meeting and it's time to go home soon." The ageing lady blinked at that, then it clicked and she clapped her hands together, seemingly overjoyed.

"Oh, you're..!" Another nod from Lovino, and she tilted her head with a look of admiration. "Take them," She held out the bouquet. "Take them as a gift of gratitude from myself and this shop. I'm just sorry I didn't recognise a _Nation _sooner!" She grinned in almost embarrassment and Lovino shook his head, taking what was left of the money he had changed into British notes before coming here, and put it on the counter.

"Keep the change." Another smile for thanks, and Lovino was off.

He grit his teeth and shuddered as cold droplets beat against his face and trailed down the back of his neck until he reached the car. It had really started to pour down.. this weather wasn't helping anything, just making everything seem even worse.  
But he was free to go "home", or rather "temporary home until he got to go back to Italy a few days after the meeting", soon, and man, was he glad of it. He was already sick of England. He just wanted to be back at home with the sun… and he didn't mean back in Italy.

* * *

Upon returning home, he sighed outwardly and let the warmth of the house bring his body back to life. He was glad to be somewhere with colour, with cordiality, with light.  
He spotted the slippers and slid them on, dumping the papers and anything to do with that boring meeting to one side and went to find his brother.

_Of course.._

Feliciano was asleep on the living room sofa after waiting too long for his brother to return. The boy's face was a calm and slow-breathing as a statue and a Lovino-shaped barrier blocked the blue-tinted light of the TV from colouring Feliciano's face once again and Lovino crouched before him. The elder sighed again, and picked up his brother and thought it best to go to bed. They had both had longs day, he figured; looking over how clean the place was now.

_"I love you.. eternally!"_

Feliciano's eyes seemed to pick up the only light in the room with ease. He didn't even have to try, and his entire face seemed to shine in the shadowy dorm. Lovino just smiled and placed a kiss to the younger's forehead, and told him to sleep.

* * *

It was morning before long, and Feliciano was in fact first to wake up.  
Lovino roused at the sound of pots and pans clattering around downstairs, and before long, he knew why.  
Feli came into the room with a tray and a look of almost apology written on his face.  
"You shouldn't be up, Feli.. y—"

"But I feel better today!" He beamed, placing the tray on the other's lap to emphasis his point. "You didn't get to eat last night.. so I thought I'd make you breakfast~"  
Lovino smirked lightly, and eyed the food. In truth, he was starving but he wouldn't let on.

"Feli.." He murmured with slight concern, in the back of his mind he knew Feliciano would be fine and could take care of himself, it's just that being around the younger for so long.. some of Feliciano's tendencies and habits had rubbed off on him, so it was natural for him to worry about these sorts of things nowadays.

He glanced across at him, taking in that same light Feli's eyes always seemed to pick up.  
The room was filled with a warming glow as the sun poured in through the window situated behind the golden-eyed Italian, and his beaming smile only made it all the more _wonderful_.  
He was home and engulfed by this glowing energy, these sincere emotions and this heartfelt happiness.  
Feliciano truly did emit his own light, and it was _brilliant_, encouraging and whole-hearted, and that was what Lovino loved about him.

Feli tilted his head lop-sided at the other's stare, and snickered a little, to snap him out of it and urge him to finally eat, unaware of any of what Lovino was even thinking.

".. _Godere_!"

* * *

**A/N: And we're done! I wanted to try to get the point across that happy people seem to emit a certain "Light" of their own when you're in their company and I don't know how I did with this one ;o; **  
**I wanted to finish one of these every other day (let's see how long that works out for ..-shot-) so these'll be faster uploading soon, I hope promise!**

**Oh! And the "Godere" at the end that Feli says, that translates to "Enjoy!" In English .u.**

**Please Review – they mean the world to me!**


	3. Dark

**A/N: Aahh part three of "We're Not so Simple"! I get more and more excited for this every time I upload ;u; i really hope you like this one, guys~ I had fun writing this one!  
Enjoy!**

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3. "Dark"

"Ve.. Lovi, you're late again.." Discontent hung from each of Feliciano's words as he peered over the back of the couch at his brother, who had just come back home for the first time that day. Lovino took a moment to shrug off his coat with a frown and raised one hand to show the younger the pile of paperwork he had had to bring home with him.

"Well maybe if you stayed behind and bothered to help rather than run off to give that Potato bastard a ride home, I wouldn't be!" He scowled and discarded the papers and clipboard, emitting a loud slapping sound as it all hit the floor before him.

"I'm.. Sorry," Feli murmured, eyebrows arched upwards in guilt as he stood up from the couch. ".. I thought you were getting a ride home with Toni.."

"And just _why_ would I want a lift home with him?" The elder rolled his eyes, throwing one hand out to the side and hanging his coat up with the other – motioning they had been over this enough times already. "I told you, I don't like coming home with him because he tries to get me to come back to his house and when he starts talking about his tomatoes, I can never fucking leave."

He huffed and kicked the papers as he marched on through into the kitchen with a murmured "_Though I didn't expect you to care.."_which made Feliciano follow him and stand in the doorway.

"Lovi, I didn't _do_ this on purpose.. I'm sorry!" He frowned a little, hating these petty fights they would get into. Not so common nowadays but it didn't mean he had hardened up to them any. "..Luddy said Gillie had taken the car so he needed a ride.." His amber gaze lowered and he fiddled with his fingers, realizing he was just digging himself into a deeper hole. Lovino sneered as he slammed the fridge door shut again.

"Oh, so you just thought I'd be able to fly home? Thanks a lot, Feli; nice to know you care more about some macho asshole than your own brother." And that hurt the two of them.

".. You know that's not true!" Feliciano's voice cracked, his eyes narrowing in desperation. "Luddy is my friend, so I helped him! I really thought you were getting a ride home from Spain!" He clenched his fists now, anxious to convey his point across to the other. The persistence only annoyed Lovino more, but he turned his back to the other and gripped the countertop, anxious to do the same thing. Both were now aware that today had been a bad day.

"I don't even know why you hang around him – he just wants to get in your pants, it's clear as day – or are you really that stupid, you can't see it?" The glare Lovino shot over his shoulder matched with his words made the younger falter a little, but he pressed on; the elder's insults having lost their venom over the years somewhat.

"I've told you before, Lovi, Germany _doesn't _like me in that way – you're just being paranoid! He sees me as a good friend that he can smile and be happy with, and that's it!"

"Paranoid, really? I think your damn brain needs looking at."

"Yes, paranoid! I could say the same thing about Toni, but I don't!"

Lovino turned round to face him, frown still etched into his features but his glare having softened slightly.  
"You take that back! That bastard _knows_ if he tries anything I'll cut off all trade deals .. _AND _I'll kick his ass! You couldn't fight your way out of a paper bag!"

"Yes I could, Fratello, you're being a jerk!" Feli tried to stand tall, but Lovino stood taller without even trying, and he was getting more and more upset, his defensive front crumbling. Instead of crying right there and giving the other more ammo against him, the younger turned on his heels and sulked up the stairs, calling out as he went. "Just.. leave me alone until you figure out where your head is!"

Lovino only folded his arms and stayed in the kitchen, all witty comebacks escaping him.

"Fine!"

"_Fine!"  
_  
But it wasn't.

Feli flinched at the sound of the door slamming even though he had been the one to do it, and slumped down onto his bed. Of course he was crying, he knew what arguments usually led up to; sleeping alone at night.. And he hated that more than anything.  
It would be a long night.. filled with broken sleep, if he managed to sleep at all. Oh, how he hated fighting with his brother..

* * *

It was late sunset when Lovino came home, so it didn't take long for the darkness to crawl in and filled Feliciano's bedroom with the black obscurity he had grown to fear so much. He clung to his bed sheets and squirmed and rolled over his mattress and tried _so_ hard to get to sleep.  
He had tried everything, facing the room, facing the wall then closing his eyes, or thinking about boring stuff or hugging his pillow, lying on his front, lying on his back.. nothing seemed to work and if it didn't _help _at all, it made things worse.

Lovino wasn't here, he had boycotted the idea of sleeping in the same room as Feli after their fight, and had fled to the spare bedroom; his pride too in-the-way to allow for an apology to the younger.

Everything was silent outside. The only resonances sounding from late-time birds, creatures of the night, monsters..  
The Italian's over-active imagination came into play at night when he was alone, and everything turned scary.  
Doors, left ajar, would harbour all-seeing creatures with eyes that shone in the blackness and teeth that glistened with a need to bite, snap bones, ravage flesh. Windows would morph into mirrors, seeing into other dimensions where petrifying beings would climb up with their stilt-for-legs and scrape on the glass to be let in. He heard blood-curdling screams, manic laughter, eerie whisperings from all around.  
And this was all in his head.  
And he had been _told_ this, countless times.  
But Fratello wasn't here, so he couldn't tell Feli again.

Feliciano trembled under the blankets. He wanted Lovino with him, he wanted to share his warmth, he wanted the noises and monsters to go away, he wanted the nightmares to stop. He had to get out. He had to make the first move.

He twisted onto his side in a brief span of silence and avoided catching anything else in his sights as he looked to the door. His cheeks fell cold with the movement, icy air brushing over the wet tear tracks as he built himself up until he was able to leave the _somewhat_safety of his bed and make a dash for the exit, making sure to step far away from the bed in his first stride so the fiends under his bed couldn't grab him.

* * *

Once outside his room, Feliciano could hear the screams and noises more clearly, as if they were following him. Like tiny demons, small blotches of black blurred in the corners of his eye-line – always gone when he turned to look, as if they were never there to begin with. He covered his ears, trying to block out the whispers and slammed his eyes shut to hide from the shadowy abyss that had concealed everything in a black depth that surrounded him.

In an instant he was outside Lovino's ephemeral bedroom door, daring himself to enter. He knew his brother would be asleep, he knew he didn't have a problem with the dark like Feli did, it was just..

The younger eventually managed to swallow his pride and enter the room, closing the door behind him and silently crawling over to the small, single-sleeper bed Lovino's form lay on his side in. He knelt down close to the edge of the bed, and dropped his head; a piteous, embarrassed tone hanging from his every word.

"L..Lov-vi.." He hiccupped, bringing trembling hands up to push under the elder's blanket slowly, and reached out until he could feel his sleeping brother's shirt to tug on. His crying started again, and his breath hitched once more and he sniffled, growing more upset, like an infant begging for affection.  
He felt a tepid hand take hold of his own, and pull him closer, into the bed. He caught sight of a flash of sleepy emerald before being met with a chest and an onslaught of that warmth he had missed, and two arms held him close.  
"M-Mi dispiace.." Feli mumbled, almost incoherently, as the embrace pacified him immediately, and he cuddled back.

Lovino only closed his eyes back up and shook his head drowsily, having none of it.  
"Nothing's going to get you here, you ass.."

And then Feli found his smile again, and the monsters seemed to seep away under the floorboards.  
And then he slept soundly, there in his brother's grasp.  
And then the light of morning came.

* * *

**A/N: Not much to say for this one other than it broke my heart to have to write my first Itacest argument ;o; omg  
I hope you liked this one, guys!**

**Cuddles to anybody who leaves a review!**


	4. Seeking Solace

**A/N: Fourth chapter/short story, and this one was actually pretty easy to brainstorm before. I think my motivation comes mainly from the reviews and favourites and encouragement I'm getting, so thanks a lot for every review you take the time to write me! qwq They mean more than you can imagine~!**

**Enjoy this one as always!**

* * *

4. "Seeking Solace"

"Fratello-!"

_What-_

No sooner had Lovino got back into his house, did he want to leave again. His eyebrows knitted together in a cold frown and _Francis, _of all people, tilted his head to look at the Southern Italian, who had just entered via the main entrance behind him. Casually, brandishing a glass of rubicund wine in one hand, and looping the other over the back of the couch he seemed to be quite contented in, the blond coiled one leg over the other and greeted the emerald-eyed Italian with a somewhat smirk of a smile.

Feli, who was not presently drinking any wine, stood up with a startled, wide eyed look – like a child having being caught drawing on the walls. He seemed panicked, distressed, and honestly, Lovino didn't know what was going on. What was that Wine bastard doing here so late, and why did Feliciano look so alarmed to see his brother return?

His confusion only deepened when he heard the Frenchman's response to this.

"Ah, I think perhaps we lost track of time, mon ami." He stood with an air of.. what was that – guilt? And approached Lovino, to reach the coat rack situated behind him, and promptly left the house after aiming a vigilant and gratuitous wave at the younger of the two, who only smiled back.

When they were left alone in silence, before hearing the tell-tale signs of Francis' car pulling out into the street and driving away, Feliciano looked up at his brother lop-sided and smiled lightly.

"ve, I.. didn't expect you home so early.." He seemed to murmur as if talking to himself, filibustering, consoling himself before he became nervous. "You didn't call.."

Lovino kept his perplexed frown, lips parted as if waiting for the words to form themselves, and glared at the door, then Feliciano, who hadn't moved from his spot.

"..What was he doing here?" The elder could already feel his chest ache. He didn't know whether to jump to conclusions and assume the obvious, or give the younger a chance to make up some bullshit excuse.

He didn't need to decide – Feliciano took care of that for him the moment he lowered his ember orbs to stare at the couch before his feet and fiddle fretfully with his fingers.

"..Uhm.."

.._Uhm?_

"What the fuck's going on here, Veneziano?" He interrupted with more of a demand of admittance than a question. Feliciano flinched at the name and let his gaze trail over the cushions before him, his mind clawing for words, for excuses. Lovino's left eye twitched a little in disbelief as he added everything up in his mind.  
Even when he used his brother's other name, he didn't get an answer?

Lovino didn't see, or care to see, his brother's reaction to the door slamming shut _hard. _With a distorted and glowering expression, the Italian stormed down the driveway and back into his own car.  
He was sure he had caught sight of Feliciano about to say something before he had left, but he didn't stop to listen. He just had to get out of that house.

He shook as his foot slipped off the pedal for the first time, but quickly slammed back down as the car gained speed down the street, possible waking anybody up in the neighbouring houses with the sound of the engine struggling to keep up with the demand the Italian was forcing upon it. He sped through the quietening junctions and away from the house – far away. Through to the other side of town where he knew there was a bar, he needed a drink.

If he had just interrupted what he _thought_ he had interrupted; he would need more than a few, and he pulled his phone out and resumed driving one-handed as he made an impulsive phone call.

* * *

Antonio arrived at the old Tavern shortly after Lovino did. He looked around with a confounded frown before spotting a familiar figure slumped over a half-empty glass at the bar.

"Lovi..?" He examined his posture, not feeling this was the right time or mood to poke fun at how desperate the younger had sounded on the phone, so he took a seat beside him and ran a hand over his back sympathetically. "What is it, what happened?"

Lovino had flinched at the touch, turning his attention away a little as Antonio seated himself, not wanting the Spaniard to see just how pathetic he must've looked.  
"..I walked in on Veneziano.. with.." Antonio watched Lovino grip his cup tighter and glare down at it as if _it_ were the problem itself. ".. Francis. Your bastard friend." His words held a broken venom, like he wanted to scream but didn't have the energy or heart to do so.  
He looked so distraught, Antonio thought..

With a soft sigh, the elder found himself not quite understanding, and he blinked with a small frown of interest this time; willingness to learn and try to help.  
"Ay.. and what were they doing?" He pulled his hand away slowly, leaning that elbow on the deep, oak countertop and positioning his chin behind a wall of closed up fingers, in his palm.

"I think they were about to.. or if they hadn't already – I don't know.." Antonio's eyes flashed at that, taking mental notes of how the other's hands were trembling, how he kept looking away as if ashamed of being this vulnerable towards the Spaniard.

"Do you have evidence? Have they done this before?"

"No. B-but he said he expected me back later and France left straight away." There was a pause, and Antonio could almost _feel_ the Italian getting more and more worked up as the silence went on.

"..Lov—"

"How could he _DO_ this to me?!" Lovino rounded on the other and glared with an up-til-now unseen anger which made even Antonio, who had dealt with bringing the man up for most of his life, veer back a little. He was quick to place a calming hand on the younger's shoulder in means to comfort him, and shook his head softly, absent of a smile for the moment. Lovino ignored it and slapped the hand away. "No! Veneziano's been chea—"

"_Lovino_,"

Toni.. never said his name in that tone..

"You need to think about this, you're causing a scene." He continued, and the Italian didn't bother looking out over the bar to see if he was right.  
Lovino's green orbs narrowed and shimmered with embarrassed tears that weren't yet about to fall, he wouldn't let them. He gave a deep, irritated sigh and turned back to looming over his glass.  
"Don't do anything you'll regret." An uncharacteristically wise and unyielding manner hung from Antonio's words as he observed the boy, making sure to keep his own voice somewhat quiet in the saloon-style company all around. "You have to be sure before you go acting like this. I'll talk to Francis and I'll call you if I find anything out, okay?"

Lovino didn't answer.

The Spaniard stood and leaned down to his friend's level one more time, speaking close to his ear and placing one hand on his curved and slouching back, as if to try and get _some_ response out of him.  
"Go back home tonight. Don't let Feli think you hate him when you aren't even sure of what you saw, that won't help matters." And he paused, waiting for the answer that didn't come, and stood and left after giving the younger a reassuring squeeze to the shoulder.

* * *

Lovino chose to listen to the Spaniard and, since he had nowhere else to go, stepped into the house again, late at night. The house was silent and he could tell by the way the living room and kitchen were almost spotless, that Feliciano was still upset. He always found something to do to try and take his mind off things, and lately that 'thing' had been cleaning.

He didn't call out to the house, just took off his shoes, shrugged off his jacket, and toyed with the idea of eating but realized if he did eat, he'd sit on the couch to watch TV, and that couch was..  
He didn't eat. He just dragged his feet upstairs and into the bedroom.

There was a still figure under the sheets, and he hadn't been greeted with an overly-happy and effusive little brother (then again, after today, he wasn't expecting that..); so Feliciano was sleeping.  
He exchanged his clothes for nightwear in silence and rounded in on the bed, staring at it like it was the first time he had faced one. He didn't want to get in the bed next to his brother, he wasn't even sure he could sleep tonight, he wouldn't be able to.  
Soon enough, though, when the cold air that had filled their room from the window the younger must've opened started to give him goose bumps, he gave up and got in the bed.

It was cold on this side of the bed, Feliciano was near enough pressed up against the far wall, turned away – rather the opposite of his usual sleeping habits. Even with the foot or so of distance between them, Lovino could feel the heat radiating off of his little brother, and he wanted to be able to forget about what he saw, and forget about the thing with Francis just so he could have some of that warmth Feli always seemed to bare.

It was barely fifteen seconds before the younger's subconscious had realised he wasn't alone anymore.

With a soft and sleepy hum, Feliciano rolled over to face Lovino and, almost expertly at this stage, fitted against him like a figure-hugging suit or a puzzle piece. He was still asleep, and still dreaming judging by the murmurs every so often; so Lovino didn't feel as though he had to bother hiding his tears.  
He fell limp after placing one arm loosely around the smaller figure, the skin underneath his touch burning up, and closed his eyes to at least _hinder_ the tears that seemed so persistent to show themselves.

The elder let out half a sigh and sniffed, eventually determined on getting _some_ sleep, even with the absence of a goodnight kiss or the tangling of their limbs that usually just came _natural_ to them when it was bedtime.  
He glanced down, his eyes mere exhausted slits, and watched his brother's chest rise and fall slowly with each calm, oblivious breath.

_How could you.._

* * *

Lovino woke up to an empty bed that morning and didn't move to look around or rub his eyes or sit up for a while.

When he made it downstairs, he rubbed his eyes and squinted against the blinding light coming in from the blinds before him, above the kitchen sink, and immediately picked up on the sound of sizzling and bubbling to his right.

"Giorno, Fratello!" An unexpectantly exultant greeting from the younger as stood himself before the stove, busy cooking up something Lovino could not yet see.  
The elder continued to rub his eyes, and poured himself a glass of orange juice as a response, a stark contrast in his expression and mood to Feliciano's.

_How can you look and act so happy? What are you, proud of yourself?_

Jaden orbs narrowed again and Lovino moved to sit at the table, slouched in his seat and with his back to the window; not caring for sunshine this morning.  
He was quickly joined by his brother who had brought his content humming and singing over along with the.. what were those, pancakes, he had cooked for breakfast.  
Feli wasn't done yet, though. He left the table again and returned with a bowl big enough to carry two large sized croissants and different butters, jams, even nutella, and placed it in the centre of the table and took a seat opposite his brother.

"Godere!" The younger offered a somewhat timid smile over the parade of foreign-looking food, clearly worried about his brother's lack of greeting or smile.. or anything, he just looked so.. distant, so pre-occupied. "It's.. something new I thought we could try.." He explained, losing his smile a little to swap it for a softer look as he reached out to take his croissant from the china bowl, and held it close to him, examining it. ".. It's French!"

"..Mn." And that's when Feliciano knew Lovino was still livid. He shuffled a little in his chair and wriggled his toes, hating this.

"I.. haven't tried them myself, yet.." He sniffed at the pastry in his hand and blinked, not knowing what to make of it. ".. You get these things everywhere in France, but they're cooked fresh! So they'd taste better.. I think." He went on, oblivious to how much this was tormenting Lovino inside, making him question his little brother's sanity – how the _hell_ could he be talking like he's done nothing wrong? To base a conversation on the subject at hand, even!  
"I've heard that France is a really beautiful country.." He smiled off at the window behind Lovino, in thought, and leaned his cheek into his palm. "We never really get to look around because of the meetings, but I heard yesterday that—"

"_Shut the FUCK up, Feli!"_ And the china was smashed, and the food was on the floor, even the jar of jam had been broken when the elder swung his fist and knocked everything off the table. Feli only jumped, startled, and fell down to the side of his chair, eyes wide with shock and panic.  
"What is it!?" He glowered down at the trembling form, throwing his arms out to the sides to further his emphasis, appear bigger. "Are you bored of me? Is it because I'm working late? Did that bastard managed to charm your sorry ass with a rose or some shit and suddenly you'd take him over me!?"

Feliciano was crying by now, quivering and not moving from where he had fallen.  
He was trembling.  
Crying..  
_Scared_. Of Lovino.

_Why are you scared of me..?_

This was the first time, he'd ever..

He wouldn't apologise. But he would back away for now.

"..You know what?" Lovino shook his head, eyes barely visible as heartbroken slits as he shrugged his arms and turned to leave the house, having given up. ".. He can have you."

* * *

"Lovi.." An accented voice sounded from the bedroom door but Lovino didn't turn to acknowledge it, only grumbled and curled up into a tighter ball. ".. Could you come help me with this?"

"No." Antonio sighed and stepped into the room, closing the door behind him but keeping his fingers curled around the handle.

"Lovi.. please come out and help me, you haven't left the room or eaten in two days.." The Spaniard had a point – but why should he care? Why should he look after himself or care about such ridiculous things when his heart had been broken? "..Please."  
Another slightly firmer sounding plea, and Lovino shifted to drag himself away from the bed. If he was going to be staying with Antonio for a while, he might as well thank him by not acting like a total free-loader. No matter how much he felt like he wouldn't be able to even look anybody in the eye right now.

The Italian sighed and left the room with a hanging head, not bothering to wait for Spain to follow or show him what he wanted help with. He knew his way around this house by now. He had been here enough times and over the last few days, it'd been his refuge, his 'dwelling', for what better word. It wasn't a home, but it was more than a house, so for now it was just "Spain's place" until he wold figure out where he was going to live.  
He didn't have his stuff here; Antonio had, strangely, refused to go back and get his belongings when Lovino built up the courage to (rather forcibly) ask him to do so. But he didn't care. Again, who cared if a heart-broken man smelt a little iffy, or looked a little homeless? He, himself didn't. Spain didn't. And that was the only two people who would have to see it.

Or so he thought.

"Romano, Je suis désolé, please, I beg you—" But Lovino had already turned away, and was about to lock himself back in his bedroom without a word before Antonio's chest blocked him, and he was forced to listen to a certain Frenchman's pleas. "Please, sit down. We.. need to talk."

Antonio shoved him lightly towards the table before he could muster a comeback, and the Italian took the hint and sat down, glowering, mumbling, cursing.

"Sorry, Lovi, but you two need to talk." And Antonio left the room, again, before Lovino could counter it.

Francis sat opposite the brunette and hesitated a moment before parting his lips again, but not to blurt out a string of apologies like he had done before. This time, what he said grabbed Lovino's attention.

"I don't know what you think's going on, here.."

_You're acting just as oblivious as Feli..?_

Francis kept his gaze on the other, a concerned and determined frown pinned into his features.  
"But you're scaring Feliciano.." And Lovino clenched his fists under the table. ".. Whatever you think's going on, I can assure you.. we have done nothing. Now, please," He cleared his throat and repositioned, straightening his back a little as the overhead lights dawned on his blonde mane, highlighting the waves his hair seemed to naturally obtain. ".. Come back and talk to him."

And Lovino lost interest then, glaring off to the side and leaning back in his chair and an exasperated sigh.

"Please, Romano." The blonde grew more desperate, his frown harshening. "Little Feli is a mess without you in the house. He won't stop crying and blaming himself, when in actual fact he's done _nothing._"  
The tone the other used made Lovino shudder a little. That was like how _he_ talked about Feli sometimes. Was Francis getting this defensive because he was actually telling the truth?

"..If that's the case.." The Italian spoke up for the first time, his voice straining at first. ".. Then why did you two freak out when I came home on Monday?" Francis blinked, thinking back. "..And why can't he shut up about how fucking _nice_ a place France is?" He raised an eyebrow, not bothering to match it with a smirk of knowing or anything other than an unforgiving and loss of will to continue.

"Trust me.." Francis was smiling now, but it was forced. ".. Speak to him, you will have your answer." He tilted his head, questioning. "You love each other, don't you?"  
The brunette winced at that and frowned hard, feeling his tanned cheeks dust over with a light pink.

"..Sh-shut up.."

"Is that a, '_Yes, Big brother, I will come'_, I hear?" Francis even chuckled, and although it was teasing him, it made Lovino feel more at ease, like he actually _could_ trust him.

"No, that's a 'Shut the fuck up, I'm doing this for Feli, not you'."  
And he stood to grab his coat for the first time in days.

* * *

Lovino slowly made his way up the driveway, watching the floor as the grass swayed in the gentle breeze and the stepping stones place a foot-stride apart shone almost metallic in the slowly dimming sunlight. He didn't know how late it was, he had lost track of all time over the past two.. three.. however many days it had been since he was last here.

Francis walked out in front of him, approaching the house with a smile, as if it were his own which irked Lovino a little, but he said nothing. Just waited and stepped inside after the blond had announced their home-coming.

Upon entering the house, there was silence and Francis seemed a little perplexed. Lovino's mind was focused elsewhere.

_Why are there.._

".. Suitcases?" Two black cases stood leaning against the wall, close to the door, as if whoever had put them there hadn't intended for them to stay there for long. It instantly unnerved Lovino for reasons unknown to him.  
Francis didn't answer, only left to look in the kitchen, then smiled as if he had found what he was looking for.  
Lovino's head hurt now, as well as his chest. Why were there suitcases? What, now Feli was moving out? What that _his_ stuff in there?  
His eyes stung. Feli was really leaving him..

_He couldn't!_

"Mission succès, mon ami!" Francis' muffled voice sounded from the kitchen.

"You mean.. Fratello is here..?" An equally muffled but higher pitched and differently-accented voice sounded, and Lovino's eyes widened.

"Feli." He wasted no time in pushing forward into the kitchen and locating his brother before homing in and gripping the younger's shoulder tightly, eyes streaming and needing.  
"F-Feli you can't leave, I'm sorry I yelled, I'm sorry I'm such an ass, I'm sorry, I.." He trailed off, lowering his head and giving into his emotions for the first time in so long, finally crying out loud as he clutched his brother's shoulders firmly.  
Francis stayed back, not wanting to interrupt, and Feliciano stared at his brother's crying form before giggling at the outburst.

"ve.. Leave?" A hand rose slowly to pat Lovino's bowed head, and another followed soon after to cup his cheek and urge him to look back up. ".. I'm.. leaving?" He seemed just as confused as anybody, and had to glance over Lovino's shoulder at Francis to understand what was even going on, before blinking, having remembered, and pulling his hands away from the other to pull something out of his pockets.  
"You.. thought Francis coming over was a bad thing, but.." He giggled childishly and slid two rectangular sheets of thick paper into Lovino's eye-line. ".. We were planning.." A small, embarrassed shrug.  
Lovino looked to the papers.

**"(AIR FRANCE)  
Return Flight [First Class]: €800  
Departing: Rome Int. Airp.  
Arrival: Paris Charles De Gaulle (CDG)**

**17th**** March 20XX**

**Feliciano "Veneziano" Vargas (V.I.P)"**

"What.. are those?"

"Plane tickets..!" Feli was beaming by now, holding the tickets to his lips to cover his grin. "I.. wanted to go somewhere nice for our birthday next week, so.. "

Lovino looked over his shoulder at Francis, who until now, had stayed quiet and saw him gave a knowing wave. Turning back to Feliciano, the elder's frown remained but switched to more of the confused sort. Feli shook his head at him with another short and silly laugh, and pushed forward to hug his brother; glad that that had been cleared up and he didn't have to hide it any more. And Lovino gladly looped his arms around him, visibly jubilant in this discovery. He felt delighted, ecstatic, euphoric!

"What did.. Fratello think was so bad about Big brother Francia coming over..?" He pulled away slightly to peer up at his brother with wide, innocent eyes and blinked, and Lovino only shook his head and managed a short chuckle at how _stupid _he had been to think his brother would've..

Francis, for sure knew why Lovino was so angry, Feliciano was just a little too innocent to think that way, and so the elder just held him close and whispered a thank you into his brother's hair.

The amber-eyed Italian beamed and cuddled in close, happy _Lovino_was back, and hummed at the thanks.

"ve~ ..Ti amo!"

* * *

**A/N: Lonnggg chapter this time! .. And a long one planned for next theme, too! Next theme is "Break Away" and I already have stuff planned~ -excited-**

**Not much to say other than I think I'm getting faster at writing.. *-* Also! I added contact details to my profile earlier so if nybody wants to get in contact with me via Skype, email, etc for roleplay or just to chat - feel free to add me! (Just tell me who you are!)**

**Parades of foreign-looking croissants for everybody who reviews! .u.**


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